Improvement in spring bed-bottoms



IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON ROBERTS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN A. LLOYD, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING BED-BOTTOIVIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,678, dated July 24, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON ROBERTS, of the city of St. Paul, in the countyof Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring Bed-Bottoms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of a bed or lounge bottom constructed according to my method. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same 5 Fig. 3, same as Fig. l; Fig. 4, end View of one of the head slats, showing tightening-screw and bearing-plate.

My invention consists in constructing bot toms for beds, lounges, Ste., by securing thin wooden slats lbetween the thicknesses of stout cross or head slats, which are supported upon spring side bars, and in applying means for straining the said thin slats in the direction of their length, so as to give them greater or less tension, as may be desired, and thus increase or diminish the elasticity of said slats and side pieces.

That others may understand Iny invention, I will particularly describe it.

A A are the slats, composed of very thin strips of tough wood. They preferably run lengthwise of the'bed, and their ends are secured rigidly between two strips (which form the slat D) of stouter boards, which run across the bedstead both at head and foot. When the ends of the slats are all thus secured the bottom is prepared to be mounted upon its supports. These supports B consist of two stout pieces of suitable timber with portions of the ends removed, so that when looking at one of them from the side the form of an elongated is presented. The two lower feet rest upon ledges or cleats just within the rail of the bedstead, while the upper ends are provided with steps or seats for the head and foot bars D vD, as shown in the gures. At the head a small strip or plate of iron, c, Fig. 4, is placed under each end of the head-strip D in its seat, and a screw, b, is passed through the slat D edgewise at each end thereof, so that its point may rest against that part of said plate which is opposite the inner edge of' pends upon a certain amount of this movement, and it can only be adjusted by some means which shall enable a person to increase or diminish the tension or end strain of the slats at pleasure. To do this the screws b b are inserted through the headslat D, so as to bear against the shoulder of the seat, and when tightened up bring a strain upon the slats in the direction of their length.

The elasticity of the side pieces, B, is also affected by the action of the screws b b, because it is evident that said side pieces will yield most freely when unconfmed, so that when the slats A are tightened up a force is brought to bear which tends to draw the seats of the slats D D together in the direction ofthe length of the slats A, and this force must obstruct any vertical movement of these upper ends of B, because they can only move freely in lines curving outward.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-. y

The straining-screws b b, or their equivalents, in combination with athin-slat bed-bottom, substantially as described, for the purpose of increasing or diminishing at will the tension of said slats.

MILTON EoBEETs. [n s] Witnesses:

D. D. MERRILL, E. D. K. RANDALL. 

